Can vegetable oil increase cholesterol. Cholesterol and vegetable oil: benefits, harms. The absence of cholesterol in sunflower oil - a myth or a pattern

02.01.2022Heading: Payment

People with high levels of unhealthy fats in the body need to follow a diet. The diet should contain as little food as possible, provoking an increase in this indicator in the blood. Is there cholesterol in vegetable oil? After all, this product is a significant part of the daily consumed dishes.

There are many vegetable oils used for various purposes. They differ in their composition, so they have different values. The most popular types of oils are sunflower, olive and corn.

Sunflower

Sunflower oil is the most common product that is most often used by people for cooking. It is produced from sunflower seeds by pressing and squeezing kernels using special equipment.

At the initial stage of production, it has a pronounced aroma, thick texture, dark golden hue. Such a product is considered the most useful. However, now it is rarely used for cooking. More often, refined and purified oil is used, which, after processing, loses many useful properties.

The product has a high level of energy value - 884 kcal per 100 g. It consists of the following substances:

Saturated fatty acids.
polyunsaturated acids.
monounsaturated acids.
Vitamin A, which improves vision and supports the immune system.
Vitamin D, which activates the body's defense mechanism, which takes part in the exchange of phosphorus and calcium.
Vitamin E, which has a strong antioxidant effect, helps to rejuvenate the body and even prevent the development of cancer.

olive

Olive oil is considered the most useful, so it is widely used in dietary and healthy eating. It is often used by people suffering from atherosclerosis of the vessels. Produced from olives. It has a high calorie content - 884 kcal per 100 g.

But this product is easily digested due to the fact that it contains a large amount of healthy fats. These components can lower cholesterol levels.

Olive oil contains the following substances:

Saturated acids.
polyunsaturated acids.
Monounsaturated acids.

When using this product, metabolic processes in the body are stabilized, the functioning of the immune system is increased, body weight is kept normal.

corn

Corn oil is also very beneficial. It is made from the germ of corn kernels. For cooking, in most cases, a product is used that is free from pesticides used to treat the plantation. In the process of frying, such oil does not undergo combustion, does not form foam, which significantly reduces the likelihood of producing carcinogenic substances.

The composition of the corn product includes:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Monounsaturated fatty acids.
Lecithin. It is a unique natural element that prevents the damaging effects of high levels of harmful cholesterol.
Vitamins A, PP, D, E.

If you consume 1-2 tablespoons of corn oil daily, the digestive process and metabolism are normalized in the body, the immune system is strengthened, and there is a reducing effect on harmful fats in the blood.

Effect on cholesterol

People suffering from atherosclerosis are often interested in the question, is there cholesterol in vegetable oils? Numerous studies have confirmed that they have absolutely no harmful fat. Therefore, doctors allow them to be used.

Benefit and harm

Vegetable oil is used by a person almost daily in the preparation of various dishes. At the same time, few people think about the benefits and harms of this product. The value lies in the fact that the composition contains vegetable fats, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

The presence of fatty acids and vitamins in the composition of oils determines their usefulness. The value of the product is as follows:

Prevention of the accumulation of excessive amounts of harmful fats and their derivatives in the body.
Normalization of the formation and separation of bile.
Improving the metabolic process of lipids.
Providing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action.
Prevention of the development of cancerous tumors.
Stabilization of the hormonal background.
Prevention of stool disorders.
Providing the body with energy.

The benefits of vegetable oil bring only moderate consumption. If abused, it can cause harm to the body.

It becomes harmful after cleaning, refining and violation of proper storage.

In order for vegetable oil not to harm health, the following rules for its use must be observed:

Do not heat the product, because in the process of exposure to high temperature, carcinogens are formed in it.
Refuse oil that has been refined and refined, as it loses its beneficial properties.
Use the product only in moderation. The fatty acids contained in it are valuable for the body, but their excessive concentration can harm.
Observe storage rules. It must be kept in a refrigerator or other cool place, protected from sunlight. Otherwise, it will quickly lose its positive properties.

Vegetable oil is a healthy product that does not contain harmful cholesterol. Therefore, people suffering from atherosclerosis can safely eat it, but only in moderation.

Those who want to lose weight or reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases need to know if there is cholesterol in vegetable oil. The labels on the bottles with this useful product inform buyers that the content is free of cholesterol.

Are marketers right or is it just their ploy to sell the product as soon as possible? Despite the advertising nature of the inscription "without cholesterol", in the oils obtained from the seeds of plants, there is really no cholesterol.

Types of vegetable oils

Depending on how the raw materials for the production of vegetable oils are processed, they are divided into:

unrefined - when oilseeds go through the pressing stage, and then filtered from litter and various particles. They have a rich (to dark amber, like a sunflower) color. The freshly squeezed product has a sweetish, appetizing aroma of the seeds used by the plants;

fortified - a refined product enriched with additional vitamins.
refined, completely purified during the production process from any impurities. After passing through all stages of removal of sedimentary suspensions, smell and taste of the product, it is subjected to hydration, neutralization, clarification (bleaching), freezing and deodorization. Their color ranges from transparent to light yellow;

The results of the latest research show that there are “traces” of cholesterol in the raw materials for the production of butter (thousandths of a fat component compared to the yolk of eggs), but they do not get into the final product. These conclusions are refuted by individual scientists, and therefore require careful verification. But one thing is clear - animal fats are not used in the production of corn, sea buckthorn, olive, linseed, peanut or sunflower extract, so there is no cholesterol in vegetable oil.

The value of oils from vegetable raw materials is distinguished by their processing method, the presence of vitamins and other useful components in them.

The composition of oils from plant seeds

At the end of the manufacturing process, ingredients can be found in any of the oil extracts:

PUFAs are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Plant lipids vital for the functioning of many human organs and systems. Vegetable oil and cholesterol are incompatible things, since PUFAs and plant lipids contribute to the destruction of atherosclerotic plaques and reduce the level of fatty fraction in the blood.
A whole complex of important fat-soluble vitamins: E, A and D. The first is a powerful antioxidant that rejuvenates the body, improves the condition of the heart and blood vessels, slows down the aging process, and prevents the development of cancer. Vitamin A - has a beneficial effect on the retina, stimulates visual function at dusk. Vitamin D is necessary for the normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the improvement of skin condition.

All vegetable oils differ from each other in the presence of certain fatty acids. For example, sunflower oil is rich in essential linoleic, and olive oil is rich in oleic acid, omega-6 in the first extract contains 5-6 times more than in the second.

The most useful of vegetable oils are cold-pressed products - unrefined, as they have the maximum vital set of components.

Diet with moderate consumption of vegetable oils

If people with cardiovascular problems and a high body mass index (BMI) see a negative answer to the question of whether there is cholesterol in vegetable oil, then most of them simply replace animal fats in their diet with olive, sunflower or any other extract.

As recent scientific developments related to healthy eating have shown, this is not entirely true:

the calorie content of products made from oilseeds fluctuates at the level of 890-900 kcal, so their consumption should be limited to 20-40 ml per day (one or two tablespoons);
frying is not welcome in dietary nutrition, but if vegetable oil is subjected to heat treatment, then its refined type is used, since the “live” unrefined oil foams, and at high temperature it burns and smokes due to impurities;
it will not be possible to reduce cholesterol by increasing the consumption of vegetable fats, since the main amount of cholesterol in a person is produced by the liver (about 80%), and from the outside the body receives only 20% with the help of products.

The culture of consumption of vegetable oils in the Mediterranean prefers olive oil, sesame oil was loved by the inhabitants of ancient Rome and the empire (the area where Jordan is located today). Linseed and hemp oils have long been the most popular in Russia. Today, sunflower and corn, sea buckthorn and peanut oils are known.

Exotic varieties of the product are obtained from any nuts and oilseeds. All of these types of healthy fats have the beneficial quality of being free of cholesterol.

Cardiovascular pathologies occupy a leading place among the total number of diseases. Therefore, the issue of choosing food worries many. Almost no dish is complete without vegetable oil. It is fried, added to salads, soups. Is there cholesterol in vegetable oil? Most manufacturers claim that vegetable fats do not contain harmful substances and are useful for various lipid metabolism disorders. To understand the veracity of such information will help information about the composition and properties of vegetable oils, as well as their effect on humans.

There are many types of vegetable fats. They are made from various fruits, seeds and nuts. The product is obtained by some production procedures: pressing, pressing and others. Depending on which oilseed is the basis, the oil can be:

sunflower,
soy,
olive,
linen
mustard,
corn,
peanut,
sesame.

Fats obtained from vegetable raw materials differ in color, taste, useful properties.

The most popular is sunflower oil. It is obtained by pressing and squeezing seeds at oil extraction enterprises. The initially pressed product has a pronounced smell of sunflower seeds, a dark golden color and a viscous texture. In this form, it is thick and rich. Currently, unrefined fats are rarely used in cooking, although the benefits of such a product are significant. The oil is then purified and refined. The following procedures apply:

Centrifugation.
Settling.
Filtration.
Hydration.
Low temperature effect.
Final defense.

It is important to remember that only partially processed vegetable fats are useful. If the product has undergone full industrial processing, the oil becomes bad and dangerous to human health, since the carcinogens contained in it can cause the development of cancer.

The composition and useful properties of the product

Vegetable fats, including sunflower oil, are extremely beneficial for humans. It is capable of:

reduce the development of cancer
strengthen immunity,
restore the skin in various pathologies,
improve the functioning of the heart and blood vessels,
to improve the functioning of brain cells,
prevent rickets in childhood
improve overall tone and stop premature aging.

The product is rich:

vegetable fats;
fatty acids;
vitamins of groups A, D and E.

In addition, vegetable fats, which are part of vegetable oil, are absorbed by the body more easily and faster than lipids of animal origin.

Harm to health

The only restriction on the use of sunflower oil in the daily diet is a ban on the use of fried foods, especially in patients with high blood cholesterol levels.

Vegetable fats have some properties that make many people doubt its usefulness:

When frying on vegetable fats, food turns out to be high-calorie and can cause the development of obesity of varying degrees. In addition, people with increased body weight when eating fried foods produce large amounts of cholesterol.
Cooking food on vegetable oils entails the disappearance of many useful substances and vitamins.
If oil is used without replacement during cooking, especially when frying, the formation of dangerous carcinogens that cause the development of oncological diseases, including stomach cancer, is possible.
Often, in the production of fast food products, a mixture of vegetable and animal oils is used - trans fats, for example, margarine. Such a product can provoke the appearance of tumors.

The product becomes dangerous when heated, when good elements decay, and some combine into harmful substances. Therefore, nutritionists do not welcome the use of fried foods, especially meat cooked in this way.

Thus, to obtain positive effects from vegetable fats, the following simple rules must be observed:

do not fry food on the same portion of oil more than 1 time,
set a moderate temperature when cooking,
normalize the presence of vegetable oil in the menu in order to regulate the calorie content of food.

The most useful option is to use vegetable oils in the form of salad dressing or on an empty stomach (preferably in the morning). In this case, the body receives the necessary vitamins and other useful components. The main thing is not to use sunflower oil with cholesterol, that is, together with animal fats. It is better to use vegetable fats only with vegetables.

Check the expiration date of the oil, as oxides accumulated in the product can cause serious metabolic disorders.
Do not neglect the rules of storage: refined oil should not come into contact with water. Store the unrefined product in a dark container at temperatures up to plus 20 °C. Cold pressed oil is good for up to 5 months, hot - up to a year. An open container should be used up within a month.

Despite the significant benefits of vegetable fats for the body, using only one of its types is ineffective. The combination of corn, mustard, sunflower and other oils in equal proportions will help the body receive various types of beneficial trace elements.

Summarizing

So how much cholesterol is in sunflower oil? Having carefully considered the composition and properties of the product, it should be noted that there is no cholesterol in sunflower oil, and in any other vegetable oil. Vegetable oil does not directly affect the level of a fat-like substance in the blood. The benefits of the product for the human body are undeniable. However, for its most effective use, you should choose the best way to consume vegetable fats and control their daily amount in your diet.

The level of cholesterol (lipophilic alcohol cholesterol, OH) in the blood is an important laboratory indicator of the state of the cardiovascular system and metabolism. Increasingly, patients are faced with an increase in “bad” fats in the body and require careful diagnosis and treatment of this condition. One of the methods of correcting dyslipidemia is to follow a diet that limits the intake of animal fats. What about the cholesterol content in butter? Can patients with atherosclerosis eat this product?

Animal fats

Before finding out what is the level of cholesterol in butter and vegetable oil, let's look at the features of the influence of this substance on fat metabolism and health in general.

It is known that the human body contains a total of about 200 g of cholesterol. Most of this organic compound is part of the cytoplasmic membranes of cells, a smaller part is consumed by the cells of the adrenal glands and liver for the synthesis of steroid hormones, bile acids and vitamin D.

At the same time, most of the lipophilic alcohol (up to 75-80%) is produced in the liver cells. Such cholesterol is called endogenous. And only 20-25% of the substance comes with food as part of animal fats (the so-called exogenous cholesterol). However, an unbalanced diet high in “bad” fats can lead to an increase in blood cholesterol levels. This, in turn, provokes the deposition of fatty alcohol molecules on the inner wall of the arteries and the development of a disease such as atherosclerosis. Its danger lies in a long asymptomatic course, as well as in the development of formidable complications associated with impaired blood supply to internal organs:

myocardial infarction;
TIA and stroke - acute disorders of cerebral blood supply;
acute violation of the blood supply to the kidneys.

It is worth noting that not all fatty foods are equally harmful. So, for example, beef fat, in addition to cholesterol content (80-90 mg/100 g), is saturated with refractory lipids, and is considered a “problem” product in terms of the development of atherosclerosis. In marine fish, the concentration of lipophilic alcohol is the same, while the product is rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 acids and is very healthy.

Important! The risk of developing atherosclerosis is significantly increased by eating foods rich in saturated fatty acids and trans fats.

What about butter or vegetable oil? Is there a "bad" fat in these products, can it increase the concentration of lipophilic alcohol in the blood, and is there an oil without cholesterol: let's figure it out.

Not a single housewife in the kitchen can do without oil. Every day we use this product for frying, salad dressing, as well as cooking first and second courses. Despite the same use, vegetable, butter and margarine have different chemical composition and nutritional qualities. Which of these products can increase cholesterol levels, and which, on the contrary, will reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and its complications?

vegetable

If lipid metabolism disorders are detected, the doctor will recommend a specialized diet aimed at reducing the level of exogenous animal fats. Is there cholesterol in vegetable oil, and can it be eaten with atherosclerosis?

In fact, none of the types of vegetable oil contains cholesterol. This organic compound is found only in the cells of living organisms. Therefore, the correct use of the product is recommended for patients to reduce high cholesterol levels.

Sunflower

Sunflower oil is used for cooking most often. The product is produced from sunflower seeds, the kernels of which are pressed and squeezed out at special oil extraction plants.

At the first stage, the pressed oil has a bright smell of sunflower, a thick texture and a dark golden color. Although such a product is the most useful, today it is rarely used in cooking. Therefore, the resulting oil is subjected to purification and refining processes, including the following steps:

rotation in a centrifuge;
settling;
filtration;
hydration;
action of low temperatures;
upholding.

Sunflower oil has a high energy value - 884 kcal / 100 g. The product contains a large number of substances useful for the body:

vegetable fats, which are absorbed by the body more easily than animal fats:
- saturated -13 g / 100 g;
- polyunsaturated fatty acids -36 g/100 g;
- monounsaturated fatty acids -46 g / 100 g;
vitamin A, which improves visual acuity and regulates the immune system;
vitamin D, which increases the protective properties of the body, and also participates in phosphorus-calcium metabolism;
vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant and prevents the processes of premature aging, the development of cancerous tumors, etc.

And if there is cholesterol in sunflower oil? No, as plant products do not contain it in their composition. Unfortunately, it also lacks healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, such oil is not the best ally in the fight against cholesterol, and if used improperly, it can even be harmful to health.

To use sunflower oil to benefit, follow the recommendations of doctors:

Try to buy a product that has undergone minimal processing. Usually it is distinguished by the marks "unrefined", "scented" on the label.
Watch the expiration date. After its expiration, oxides and other harmful substances begin to accumulate in the product, negatively affecting the metabolism and general condition of the body.
Store sunflower oil in a dark place: when exposed to sunlight, some of the beneficial substances in it are destroyed. The optimum storage temperature is 5-20 degrees.
Try to use the oil mainly in the "cold" form, adding to salads. During frying, carcinogens and peroxidation products are formed in it, which can provoke the development of a serious disease. In addition, if the product for frying is meat, the content of “bad” fats in it increases significantly.

olive

Olive oil is considered healthier than sunflower oil and is successfully used in recipes for a healthy diet, including for patients with atherosclerosis. It is obtained from the fruits of the olive tree.

High-calorie (884 kcal / 100 g) and easily digestible product has its effect due to the high content of "useful" lipids that can lower cholesterol levels. The composition of 100 g of olive oil includes:

14 g saturated fat;
11 g polyunsaturated fatty acids;
73 g monounsaturated FFA.

Due to oleic acid, the product normalizes metabolism, promotes weight loss and strengthens the protective properties of the body. With regular eating, olive oil reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by strengthening the vascular wall and "cleansing" the arteries from cholesterol plaques. Linoleic acid in the composition of the product has regenerating (healing) properties. Thanks to vitamins and antioxidants, olive oil prevents the development of cancer of the internal organs and autoimmune processes.

corn

Corn oil is popularly called "liquid gold" not only for its bright sunny color, but also for its unique composition. The product is obtained from the germ of corn kernels. The food is usually refined deodorized oil, purified from pesticides, which are usually treated in corn plantations. During frying, it does not burn and does not foam, thereby reducing the possibility of producing carcinogens. A neutral pleasant taste allows it to be used during salad preparation.

The composition of corn oil includes:

Important poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids are oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic. They normalize lipid metabolism, promote rapid weight loss and reduce the risk of atherosclerotic plaques.
Lecithin is a unique natural substance that neutralizes the damaging effect of high cholesterol levels.
Vitamins A, PP, D, E. According to the content of some of them (in particular, tocopherol), corn oil is superior to sunflower and even olive oil.

Regular use of 1-2 tbsp. l. corn oil per day will normalize digestion and metabolism, strengthen immunity and lower blood cholesterol levels.

In addition to the above types, you can also diversify your diet with sesame and pumpkin oil.

The oil obtained from sesame seeds is the leader in calcium content. It is he who is responsible for strong and healthy bones. It is especially useful for the beautiful half of humanity. And pumpkin seed oil contains a large amount of zinc, which is useful for normalizing hormonal levels. True, it is not recommended to fry on it: during cooking, the oil can bubble and smoke. Mixed with olive oil, this oil can be easily used for its intended purpose: added to salads, first and second courses.

Creamy

But butter consists of animal fats, so it increases blood cholesterol. It is made from heavy cream.

Interestingly, its calorie content is slightly lower than vegetable oils (717 kcal / 100 g), but in the lipid formula there is a significant bias towards saturated fats. 100 g butter contains:

saturated fat - 51 g;
poly-HH FFA–3 g;
mono-NN ZhIK - 21 g;
cholesterol - 215 g.

Note! The rate of consumption of exogenous cholesterol is up to 300 g. With atherosclerosis, this figure decreases to 150-200 mg.

Among the useful properties of the product are:

a positive effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa: the oil heals cracks and small sores located in the stomach or intestines;
reducing the risk of developing cancer;
improved metabolism;
activation of the nervous system.

However, this product, rich in “bad” lipids and saturated fats, can worsen the course of atherosclerosis, so butter is not recommended for high cholesterol. It is better to replace it with vegetable oils that reduce the level of OH. Even a healthy person is recommended to eat no more than 15 g of butter per day.

A little about margarine

And what about margarine? Cholesterol is not contained in this product, but for some reason doctors are extremely unfriendly to it.

The fact is that the composition of margarine, which is made from a mixture of vegetable, less often animal fats, includes trans fats. These substances are lipid molecules chemically altered during production, which have an extremely negative effect on the state of metabolism. 100 g of a product with a calorie content of 717 kcal contains 81 g of fats, of which 15 g are saturated and 15 g are chemically transformed.

Therefore, margarine and its analogues (cooking fat, lard, etc.) are not recommended for use even by healthy people. And from the diet of patients with atherosclerosis, such products should be completely excluded.

A hypocholesterol diet is an important step in the treatment of atherosclerosis. At the same time, the task of the doctor remains to explain the general rules of nutrition and draw up individual recommendations, and the patient will have to apply the knowledge gained in practice. Above, we looked at how butter, vegetable oil and margarine affect fat metabolism in the body, as well as what beneficial and harmful properties these products have. Any oil for lowering cholesterol should be used according to the rules of a healthy diet and bring benefits to a person.

There are more than 240 types of vegetable oils. But in Russia and Ukraine, sunflower oil is the most common. Why is sunflower oil traditionally present in Russian cuisine, and how does it differ from other vegetable oils? Is it good or bad to eat it?

The manifestation of increased interest in healthy eating is a characteristic feature of our time. The modern view of food in terms of its impact on health does not bypass this popular product. Is there cholesterol in sunflower oil? How is sunflower oil and cholesterol related, the excess content of which in the human body is undesirable?

A small digression into history

The plant was brought to Russia almost three hundred years ago, but for a long time it was grown exclusively for decorative purposes. Luxurious yellow flowers, always directed towards the sun, enlivened not only the palace flower gardens and landowners' estates.

For decades, sunflower conquered the space of the Russian Empire. The North Caucasus, Kuban, the Volga region accepted him in their open spaces. In Ukraine, where the "sun" settled near every hut, peasant women and merchants not only enjoyed its flowering, but rest on the mound was diversified by a new entertainment - "snapping of seeds."

While Europe continued to admire the sunflowers that inspired Vincent van Gogh to create an amazing cycle of paintings of the same name, in Russia they came up with a more practical use for them. The serf peasant Daniil Bokarev invented a method for obtaining oil from sunflower seeds. And soon the first oil mill appeared on the territory of the current Belgorod region.

The widespread use of sunflower oil in the middle of the 19th century was facilitated by the fact that the Orthodox Church recognized it as a Lenten product. This second name has even stuck - vegetable oil. Sunflower crops in Russia at the beginning of the last century occupied an area of about a million hectares. Vegetable oil became a national product, it began to be exported.

Is there cholesterol in vegetable oil

Cholesterol is an organic compound of the steroid class, which is necessarily present in animal products. It owes its name to its discovery - it was first isolated from gallstones, translated as solid bile.

It plays an important role in our body, ensuring the stability of cell membranes, is involved in the production of bile acids, hormones, vitamin D. For the most part (up to 80%), our liver and other internal organs produce the right amount of it, the rest we get from food. Excess cholesterol in the blood increases the risk of atherosclerosis and the development of cardiovascular diseases.

In principle, an excess of cholesterol in the blood can appear in two cases:

To act with food containing a large amount of it with its immoderate consumption;
As a result of a violation of lipid metabolism, which, in turn, can be provoked by harmful substances that come with food.

According to the official version, cholesterol is not found in plants. Therefore, the cholesterol content in sunflower oil is zero. However, in the reference book “Fats and oils. Production, composition and properties, application, 2007 edition, author R. O'Brien indicates that one kg of sunflower oil contains from 8 mg to 44 mg of cholesterol. For comparison, the cholesterol content in pork fat is (3500±500) mg/kg.

Be that as it may, sunflower oil cannot be considered a serious supplier of cholesterol. If cholesterol is contained in sunflower oil, it is in negligible amounts. In this sense, it cannot bring cholesterol into our body in great excess.

It remains to consider the effect of vegetable oils on blood cholesterol levels. Indeed, the oil may contain components that have a positive or negative effect on complex processes in the body in which cholesterol is involved, and already indirectly affect the situation. To this end, you should familiarize yourself with the composition and properties of the product.

Sunflower oil is 99.9% fat. Fatty acids are essential for our body. They improve mental activity, contribute to the accumulation of energy.

The most useful are unsaturated vegetable fats. But for normal life, the proportion of 7/3 between animal (saturated) and vegetable fats should be observed.

Some vegetable oils contain saturated fatty acids, such as those found in palm and coconut oils. Distinguish between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in olive oil. The source of polyunsaturated fatty acids are oils: corn, linseed, rapeseed, as well as cottonseed, sunflower, soybean.

Sunflower oil contains:

The influence of the production method on the composition of the oil

The technology for the production of vegetable oil can radically change its useful properties, almost completely deprive it of its biological value.

Obtaining vegetable oil involves the passage of several stages:

Pressing or extraction. These are two different ways of passing the first stage. The spin can be cold or hot. Cold-pressed oil is considered the most useful, but does not have a long shelf life. Extraction involves the extraction of oil with the help of solvents, which gives a greater yield of the finished product.
Filtration. Get crude oil.
Hydration and neutralization. It is treated with hot water. Get unrefined oil. The value of the product is lower than that of crude oil, but the shelf life is higher - up to two months.
Refining. Get a transparent product, devoid of color, smell, aroma and taste. Refined oil is the least valuable, but has a long (4 months) shelf life.

When choosing sunflower oil, one should pay attention to the sediment, which is formed due to the high tendency to oxidize unsaturated fatty acids. But even if such a precipitate is not observed, it is important to make sure that it corresponds to the expiration date. Sunflower oil should be stored in a dark, cool place, on the wall of the refrigerator, for example.

sunflower oil and cholesterol

In the fight against bad cholesterol, vegetable oils, including sunflower oil, are essential helpers. Harm can only occur when using fried foods.

The following points cast doubt on the benefits of sunflower oil:

However, vegetable oil is a product that can only indirectly affect cholesterol levels. With elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood, sunflower oil should not be completely abandoned. You just have to reevaluate your diet.

To get a positive effect, you need to use a small amount when frying at medium temperature, changing the oil each time, do not allow it to be re-used.

And it is best to season vegetable salads with fresh cold-pressed sunflower oil. And then the maximum benefit of its components and vitamins will be fully manifested!